Ceremonies will tell inspiring stories of veterans

Two upcoming events will pay tribute to two military veterans who served their country with distinction.

Madison native Robert Hyden, now a Clarksville resident, will be honored for his service in World War II during a wreath-laying ceremony at 2 p.m. Friday at the Clarksville City Hall.

The event is part of the Indiana Salute to Veterans hosting of a traveling display of a replica of the Vietnam Wall, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and John F. Kennedy gravesite.

Hyden was born in Madison in 1922. He joined the Army National Guard in 1939 before serving with the 13th Airborne Division after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. He served with the Airborne Division for six years. He retired from his military service in 1980 as a Chief Warrant Officer 4. He later retired as technician with the Indiana National Guard.

The display will be in Clarksville through Sunday.

On Saturday, Aug. 24, a U.S. Marine who died 70 years ago during World War II, will be laid to rest at the Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Madison.

The service for Pfc. Manley F. Winkley will begin at 1 p.m. at the Veterans Cemetery.

Winkley's remains will be transported from Nashville, Ind. Winkley will be escorted by the Patriot Guard Riders, Rolling Thunder and Indiana State Police, along with local public safety agencies.

Winkley and his battalion were ordered to secure the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Island chain in 1943. It is estimated more than 1,000 Marines died in the battle, including Winkley. He was killed in action on Nov. 20, 1943. He was 20 years old.

On Oct. 29, 2012, a joint POW/MIA accounting team led an expedition in the Republic of Kiribati where it located the remains of three bodies from the Tarawa Islands.

One of the bodies was positively identified as Winkley on April 2.

The events will specifically honor the two men, but every man and woman who has served in the military will, in a sense, be honored.

We encourage families to attend both ceremonies. They will provide an inspiring message that we must never forget.